


Our World (In a Grain of Sand)

by IAmNotGoodatthisnamingthing



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluffy, M/M, Slow Burn, brief mentions of exo ensemble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 22:22:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13797564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmNotGoodatthisnamingthing/pseuds/IAmNotGoodatthisnamingthing
Summary: It’s when they are on stage, huddled together after winning their daesang, that Jongin meets Baekhyun’s laughter-softened eyes and he is floored by a sudden realization.He is in love.Or where Jongin notices the little everyday things he loves about his Baekhyun hyung, and Baekhyun is patient and loving.





	Our World (In a Grain of Sand)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not good at ~~naming things~~ writing summaries, but thank you for deciding to read this story!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

When Baekhyun sings, his high, rounded notes make the veins in his neck strain, and when he drinks water, exhausted by their rehearsal, it’s Jongin who has to swallow hard.

  
  


It’s the first time Baekhyun manages to read a fan letter written in English all by himself, and when he grins, Jongin has to look away, afraid of getting blinded by starry eyes.

  
  


They are rehearsing in the practice room, and Jongin can’t look away from Baekhyun’s fingers gliding across the piano. Baekhyun’s fingers are long and tapered, and just so  _ pretty _ that Jongin fixates on them. They look pretty as they brush over a secondhand piano’s keys and as they hold chopsticks and even as he’s flipping through pages in a trashy magazine. And Jongin stares, vaguely wondering how they’d look, intertwined with his own.

  
  


It’s not the first time Baekhyun has dyed his hair, but it’s the first time he complains about how badly his scalp hurts because of the bleach. Before Jongin is aware of what he is doing, he pulls Baekhyun’s head down to his lap and starts stroking his hair. The puzzled look Baekhyun shoots him is momentary, replaced by a gummy smile as he settles against Jongin, ready for a nap.

  
  


That Baekhyun likes to cuddle is well-understood by everyone in the group. He can be found hanging off Yixing as they shuffle down to the van at brutally early hours; Jongdae lets Baekhyun doze against him as he walks around the kitchen hunting down breakfast for them both; Chanyeol is as notorious a hugger as Baekhyun and finding them curled up in sofas and on floors has ceased to be uncommon long ago; Kyungsoo not only tolerates Baekhyun’s warm hugs, but actively seeks him out when he’s feeling down. It’s only Jongin who Baekhyun hesitates to cuddle with, well-aware that he is perpetually covered in sweat from practicing, and doesn’t feel comfortable with hugging. Jongin yearns, but doesn’t dare to ask. Even though he so badly  _ wants _ …

 

His bangs have become overgrown, Jongin realizes, watching Baekhyun flip his hair to the side multiple times a day. It’s infuriating in an oddly endearing way, and Jongin  _ itches _ to fix his hair; to sit him still and just pat away the hair from his face to see his bright eyes. But he doesn’t. He watches as Yixing walks by and ruffles Baekhyun’s hair, as their stylist noona fixes a Pororo clip onto Baekhyun’s bangs, as Baekhyun pulls off Jongdae’s beanie and both of them engage in the head-banging battle of the century. He watches as they wait to be called up to stage and Baekhyun shakes his head, flipping his hair only to have it settle back in its original position, and Jongin curls his fingers into fists.

  
  


Jongin is down with a fever and every joint in his body aches, but he still goes to practice and dances for hours because their comeback is only 10 days away. He’s exhausted, hungry and on the verge of collapsing when Joonmyeon calls for a break. Everyone quickly scatters away, wanting to make the most of their half an hour break, but Jongin leans against the mirrors and closes his eyes and just concentrates on breathing. Sometime later, he feels the weight of someone’s gaze on him. Cracking open his eyes, Jongin finds a frowning Baekhyun hovering over him with a bottle of Powerade and an already unwrapped packet of biscuits. He grabs the offerings gratefully and closes his eyes again, to begin nibbling at the food. But much to his shock, Baekhyun sits down beside him and draws Jongin’s fever-flushed head on his shoulder before placing a wet towel against the back of his neck. “Eat,” Baekhyun says softly when Jongin stops moving, and Jongin restarts his chewing, nuzzling closer when Baekhyun begins to run his cool fingers through his sweat-slicked hair.

  
  


It’s when they are on stage, huddled together after winning their daesang, that Jongin meets Baekhyun’s laughter-softened eyes and he is floored by a sudden realization.  _ He is in love _ .

  
  


Jongin begins to hover around Baekhyun, as he makes bad jokes, as he skips across the dorm and plays games late into the night. Jongin isn’t very subtle about his hovering, so much so that Minseok actually approaches him, wondering if something was wrong with Baekhyun and if he could help. Jongin assures him that nothing is wrong, but he cannot help but glance over where Baekhyun is busy cursing at a video game. Jongin’s feet automatically carry him to the other side of the sofa, and he listens attentively as Baekhyun rants about rigged games and how he is going to beat the system. Baekhyun is so, so precious and Jongin is  _ gone, gone, gone… _

  
  


In the end, Baekhyun calls him out on it. One night as they’re both laying in bed, in a hotel room thousands of miles away from their home, Baekhyun turns to Jongin and props his head up on his arm, an action that Jongin mimics immediately. “Why do you stare at me so much?” he asks gently, eyes brushing over Jongin’s every feature and Jongin freezes, panic making his heart race. Contrary to popular belief, Baekhyun is very, very patient, and he silently waits as Jongin deliberates on what to say. “Do you want me to stop?” he asks in the end, equal parts hopeful and hesitant. Baekhyun shakes his head, slowly and deliberately, before turning away. “Tell me when you’ve made up your mind,” he entreats, and Jongin nods, even though he knows Baekhyun can’t see.

  
  


Baekhyun doesn’t get drunk, and neither does Kyungsoo. But Jongin does, and he is  _ so drunk _ right now. He is sitting at their table, feeling too uncoordinated to brave the dance floor at the company’s New Year party, and he is running his finger over the rim of his wineglass, deep in thought. “Jonginie! Come dance!” Baekhyun exclaims, plopping down to a seat beside Jongin, the first three buttons on his shirt undone. Jongin pouts before dropping his head on the table. “I’m tired,” Jongin whines, and Baekhyun hums soothingly. They sit together and make small talk, cloistered in a bubble of their own, and Jongin begins the new year asleep, snoring on a table, with Baekhyun’s hands rubbing comfortingly across his back.

  
  


“A kiss,” Baekhyun says, puckering up his lips, before bursting into laughter and skipping away. Jongin had only asked what Baekhyun wanted for his birthday and that insolent hyung had listed everything from Beyoncé’s phone number to a pet rabbit trained in rollerblading to a  _ kiss _ . “Hyung,” Jongin entreats, pinching the bridge of his nose, and Baekhyun chuckles again. “I’ll like whatever you get me, so don’t sweat it, okay?” he says sincerely, leaning down to squeeze Jongin’s shoulder soothingly, before he’s bounding off again, in search of Chanyeol and Jongdae to play some game. In the end, Jongin gets him pizza coupons and a wallet he’d noticed Baekhyun eyeing in a store, and it’s Baekhyun who hugs him before smacking a kiss on Jongin’s cheek (reducing Jongin to an internally screaming mess for the rest of the evening).

  
  


It’s July and they’re on a beach, happily exhausted by hours of play. They’ve finished shooting for their photobook, and now they are all just lying together and enjoying their downtime. Someone starts up fireworks some distance away and they all ooh and aah over the bursts of colour in the ink black sky. “Pretty,” Baekhyun coos, face illuminated by golden and green sparks, and Jongin glances at him and decides to enjoy the fireworks being reflected in Baekhyun’s eyes.  _ Pretty, you’re so pretty _ , he thinks to himself, sliding his fingers towards Baekhyun’s. When their hands brush, Baekhyun opens his palm up – an invitation – and Jongin wastes no time, tightly winding their fingers together.

  
  


“You need to sleep,” Baekhyun scolds, his intended intimidation somewhat ruined by his ruffled hair. It’s 2 am and Jongin has yet to close his laptop, where he’s monitoring a dance practice. “Jongin please,” Baekhyun talks over Jongin’s spluttered excuses, standing at his bedside. Jongin sighs and slams his laptop closed. Before Baekhyun can do any more than smile triumphantly, Jongin tugs him into his own bed and wraps his arms and legs around Baekhyun like an octopus. “Goodnight hyung,” he wishes, turning off his bedside lamp. “Goodnight Nini,” Baekhyun nuzzles into his chest, wrapping his arms around Jongin’s body.

  
  


Jongin is in Japan for a photoshoot with Taemin when Baekhyun slips and hurts his ankle.  _ Nothing serious _ , Minseok assures over Skype as Baekhyun shows off the drawings Yixing and Chanyeol had done on his plastered cast, but Jongin is anxious. It’s five more days before he returns to Korea, and Jongin sighs in relief when he walks into the dorm. “Welcome back Nini,” Baekhyun smiles as he looks up from the book he’d been reading, foot propped up on the coffee table of their living room. Jongin is by his side in 3 long steps and gently tracing his fingers over Baekhyun’s cast. “I’m fine,” Baekhyun laughs, somewhat shakily, and Jongin doesn’t think before he's sitting down and wrapping his arms around Baekhyun’s waist, burying his head in Baekhyun’s neck.

  
  


“I’m in love with you,” he confesses later when Baekhyun pulls him down into his bed and they both settle in under the blankets. Jongin looks down, not willing to see the rejection or worse  _ disgust _ in Baekhyun’s face, and misses the delicate smile that lights up Baekhyun’s every feature. “Hey,” Baekhyun says, sliding his hands around Jongin’s face and tilting it up to catch his eyes. “Hi,” Baekhyun beams blindingly, leaning forward to nuzzle their noses together before giggling his way into burying his head against Jongin’s chest.

  
  


They tell Chanyeol and Minseok first, and then Sehun. Joonmyeon who’d been eavesdropping on their conversation with Sehun rushes in and envelops both of them into a hug and threatens severe repercussions if they’re seen doing  _ things _ anywhere in the dorm outside their room. Jongin goes red and splutters that they have not done anything, and Baekhyun cheekily says  _ Not yet _ as he makes kissy faces at their leader. Jongdae grumbles about owing Yixing money when they tell him but Kyungsoo finds out when he comes back from an acting job and sees Jongin and Baekhyun cuddling in the sofa, Jongin greedily mouthing at Baekhyun’s neck. Kyungsoo promptly drops the coffee he had been carrying and Jongin sighs and buries his head into his pillows when Baekhyun leaps off to pester Kyungsoo for gifts.

  
  


Baekhyun is the first to tell his family. His mom insists on obtaining Jongin’s phone number, to get to know him better and cook all his favorite food when Jongin finally decides to visit the Byun household. Jongin’s family doesn’t necessarily disapprove, but they don’t exactly approve of his relationship; except his elder sister, who immediately emails her baby brother’s most embarrassing prepubescent photos to Baekhyun, and whose number Baekhyun saves in his phone as favorite sister in law.

  
  


They break up once, two months into Jongin’s enlistment, or rather Jongin breaks up with Baekhyun in a misguided attempt to let him live his life freely. Jongin dies a little bit inside every day until Yixing and Kyungsoo talk sense into him and makes him realize how badly he needs Baekhyun, and how miserably Baekhyun misses him. When they make up, Jongin promises Baekhyun a lifetime of love and devotion, and Baekhyun accepts him with tear-stained eyes and a steadily pounding heart.

  
  


When they are lying in bed, Jongin gently nibbling at the bared dips of Baekhyun’s left hip, Baekhyun squeezes his shoulder, gesturing for Jongin to look up. “Let’s marry,” Baekhyun proposes, holding out a pair of simple silver bands. Jongin sits up straight and holds the rings in his hand and tries not to tremble from the fierce rush of affection he feels.

  
  


When they do get married, it’s a simple ceremony conducted on a remote beach southwest of Jeju. They exchange their wedding rings, with their members and families as witness. And when Baekhyun says his vows, all full of warmth and haloed by sunlight, Jongin has to swallow hard, just then realizing how far they’ve come.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading lovelies!! Leave a comment to let me know if you liked it<3
> 
> Cheers!


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